From AI Darling to Disinformation Playbook: How Fake Accounts Managed a Market Frenzy and What DeepSeek’s Hype Teaches Leaders
DeepSeek, a new Chinese AI model, stormed app charts and briefly sent shockwaves through global markets. However, our disinformation research team found that much of this excitement was artificial — driven by thousands of fake profiles working in tandem. Their behavior bore the hallmarks of state-linked bot networks, amplifying hype and distorting market perception. For tech leaders and investors, the warning is clear: without the ability to separate genuine adoption from manufactured buzz, decisions risk being guided by disinformation rather than reality.
DeepSeek Disinformaton Campaign: Fake profiles used two main methods: amplifying each other to simulate popularity, and blending into authentic conversations to appear credible.
What happened with the DeepSeek launch?
... continue reading